No medieval castles here, but Central Florida boasts its own historic gems

January 7, 2014|By David Breen, Orlando Sentinel

Rome has its Colosseum. China has its Great Wall. And Orlando has the Rogers Building.

OK, so Central Florida's historic places may not have the age or cachet of those global icons. But in a region known more for strip malls and sprawl, there is real history to be found.

And as the recent saga of Winter Park's Capen House shows, sometimes these treasures become widely known only when threatened with destruction.

Based on guidance from experts in Orange, Osceola, Lake and Seminole counties, the following are selections for some of the top sites in each county. Contact your county's historical society for more in-depth information and for more of the region's historic gems.

Orange County Regional History Center: Before it became the history center, the building at 65 E. Central Blvd., completed in 1927, was the sixth Orange County Courthouse. The "Million Dollar Courthouse," as it was known then, is the finest example of Beaux Arts architecture in the city.

Fort Christmas Historical Park: A replica of the original fort, built during the Seminole Indian War, anchors the 25-acre park in east Orange County. It also includes a traditional Florida "Cracker" house, a sugar-cane mill and more. The fort got its name because construction began Dec. 25, 1837.

Henry Nehrling Estate: The Gotha estate was once the home of botanist Henry Nehrling. He arrived in Gotha in 1886, began growing oranges and built his home, which he called "Palm Cottage Gardens." He became known worldwide for the caladiums and bromeliads he developed.

Leu Gardens: The first owners of the property, David and Angeline Mizell, arrived in the area in 1858. David Mizell was killed in the line of duty while serving as Orange County sheriff in 1870. It was subsequently owned by businessman Duncan Pell, who married early silent-film star Helen Gardner. Harry Leu bought the property in 1936 and established the gardens that still attract visitors today.

Rogers Building: Englishman Gordon Rogers came to Orlando in 1886 and built this Queen Anne-style structure on Magnolia Avenue in downtown Orlando. It was the site of gatherings for British expatriates. The building's pressed metal siding is thought to have been shipped from England.

Museum of Seminole County History: Built in 1926, the building is one of only two remaining "Old Folks Homes" for indigent elderly still standing in Florida. The home had segregated quarters for its residents in two separate buildings in an era before nursing homes and Social Security.

Sanford Waterfront: Today's RiverWalk still has remnants of the docks where steamers used to tie up and unload passengers, then reload oranges and other agricultural products, according to Nelson. Sanford was the southernmost deep port on the St. Johns River in the early days of Florida's development.

Public History Center/Student Museum/Old Sanford Grammar School: This building, constructed in 1902, was the first high school in what was then Orange County, Nelson said. Designed in the Romanesque Revival architectural style, it boasts a prominent three-story bell tower.

Bradlee McIntyre House: The two-story Queen Anne-style "cottage" was built in 1885 by Nathaniel Bradlee, a prominent Boston architect, and is the home of the Central Florida Society for Historical Preservation today. The house was moved from Altamonte Springs to Longwood's historic district in 1973.

Historic Goldsboro/Museum: The west Sanford community of Goldsboro was the second Florida town — after Eatonville — incorporated in Florida by black citizens, in 1891. It was home to the nation's first black high school, Crooms Academy, established in 1926. The state Legislature in 1911 voted to revoke Goldsboro's incorporation, and the town was absorbed into Sanford against the wishes of its citizens.

Historic Kissimmee: Originally known as Allendale, Kissimmee (then called Kissimmee City) was incorporated in 1883. The downtown area includes Osceola County's historic courthouse, which has been in use since 1890. Adjacent to downtown is the lakefront, which played a major role as a shipping port in opening Florida's interior to development.

Monument of States: The 40-foot-high Kissimmee monument dedicated in 1943 includes stones from all 50 states and more than 20 foreign countries. The brainchild of Dr. Charles Bressler-Pettis, the monument was intended as both an expression of solidarity after Pearl Harbor and as a tourist attraction.